We Both Know
by moviegeek03
Summary: Kurt realizes that he might fear losing Blaine more than he fears letting Blaine back in when he learns Blaine has had a rather painful run in with Hunter.
1. Chapter 1

Title: We Both Know

Author: moviegeek03

Beta: purplehrdwonder

Characters/Pairings: Klaine, Sam, Santana, Rachel, Finn, Adam (some Kadam but nothing major), Burt/Carole, Tina, Hunter

Rating/Warnings: PG-13; Assault, mentions of steroid addiction; Spoilers for aired eps

A/N: Title comes from the Gavin DeGraw and Colbie Caillat song of the same name.

Summary: Kurt realizes that he might fear losing Blaine more than he fears letting Blaine back in when he learns Blaine has had a rather painful run in with Hunter.

Chapter 1

Blaine ran around the house one last time, checking to make sure everything was in its place before Sam arrived. He had debated for weeks on going up to New York to visit Kurt, but had decided at the last minute to remain in Lima for his final spring break of high school and just relax with some movie marathons and bro bonding. After failing to save the most important thing in his own world, it was nice to camp out on the couch with Sam and watch the superheroes save theirs all within the span of a few hours.

He still talked to Kurt frequently, sneaking texts under desks during boring lectures and catching up via Skype when they could. They were getting better at communicating. But Blaine knew Kurt had Adam and he wasn't too sure what that meant for him. Kurt never seemed unhappy, but he didn't have that same spark that Blaine had seen during Schue's failed wedding.

With a sigh, Blaine tried to shove thoughts of Kurt to the back of his mind and finish cleaning up his room. Sam was coming over to spend the while Blaine's parents were in Pittsburg. They had offered to bring Blaine along on their business trip since it coincided with his break however he felt like a week with his best friend sounded nicer than stuffy businessmen and wandering around the hotel by himself.

Blaine went downstairs to double check the fridge to make sure Sam's favorite cans of pop were still tucked in the back. He had just finished when the front doorbell rang. Blaine smiled and hurried to let Sam in so they could start their night.

"Hey, man!" Sam greeted as Blaine pulled the door open and stepped to the side. He hitched his duffle bag up higher on his shoulder and shuffled inside next to Blaine.

"Hey Sam! I was just double checking that there was enough pop in the fridge. You want one?"

"Nah, I'm good," he replied, following Blaine into the kitchen and taking a seat at the bar. "You the only one home?"

Blaine grabbed a water bottle and sat down next to his friend. "Yeah, just me. My parents left this morning for Pittsburg. Dad has a bunch of meetings to deal with for a merger he's working on and Mom has some family up there she wanted to visit ."

"You sure they're ok with you staying here with me instead of going with them?" Sam asked, furrowing his brow.

"No, um, I would've just ended up staying in the hotel the whole week anyway and just seen them for dinner. My uncle—the one mom's visiting—he's not my biggest fan." Blaine fiddled with the paper on the outside of the bottle, peeling pieces off. "He's pretty homophobic so Mom never makes me go visit. She just likes seeing her sister and her kids."

"That sucks! Dude I'm really sorry." Sam slung an arm across Blaine's back and squeezed his shoulder. "Your uncle sounds like an ass."

Blaine laughed a little at Sam's bluntness. "Pretty much. Like I said, my parents don't really like him but you can't choose who your family marries."

"Still sorry," Sam restated, patting Blaine on the back before removing his arm.

Blaine smiled in thanks and stood up. "So," he started to change the subject, "did you remember _The Amazing Spiderman_?"

"Of course!" Sam faked offense as he started digging in his bag for the DVD. "Can't believe you haven't watched this yet."

Blaine shrugged as he took the movie. "I just didn't like that they did remakes so quickly after the original set."

"You'll like this one; I promise. They made it different enough. Trust me, I was skeptical but I'm glad I went to see it."

Blaine scoffed. "You only went so you could check out Emma Stone in a mini skirt."

Sam blushed a little as he bumped shoulders with Blaine. "Hey, you don't judge me for that and I won't judge you for watching for Andrew Garfield in tights…"

"Deal," Blaine replied quickly around a laugh. "Um, there is still plenty of food and stuff here if you want, but I thought it would be good to just pick up a pizza or something before we started the marathon."

"I was hoping we could go out to that comic book shop you were talking about too. It sounds way cooler than the dive we got in Lima!"

"Trust me," Blaine said as he moved to grab his jacket, "it is. There's a Little Caesars across the street. We could pick up some pizzas and wings afterwards then just crash on the couch with some movies."

"Awesome!" Sam hopped down from the barstool and all but ran past Blaine in his excitement. He came to a halt in front of the door, sliding a little on the rug. "You don't mind driving do you? I just had Finn and Puck drop me off on their way to Columbus."

"Of course I don't. I knew Burt was still working on your truck. Any hopes of it getting fixed so you can go visit your family sometime this week?"

Sam sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "He's waiting on the parts to get in but hopefully. Til then I just have to depend on Finn and you to drive me around I guess."

Blaine nodded and fished his keys out of his pocket. "Why are Finn and Puck going to Columbus anyway?"

"One of the women Puck used to clean pools for gave him tickets to an OSU baseball game. He asked Finn to go with him and they decided to make a weekend of it…get a hotel in Columbus, hit up a few of the bars. Pretty sure Finn just wanted out of Lima for a few days after everything with Schue."

Blaine nodded. It hadn't taken long for all of New Directions to hear about what had happened between Finn and Ms. Pillsbury and to see how pissed Mr. Schue was about it all. Gossip spread quickly through the halls of McKinley.

"Good for Finn," Blaine added. "Getting away can help clear you head and let things settle."

Sam fidgeted for a moment after he stepped onto the front porch. "That's kind of why I'm surprised you didn't go away for the break. To you know, clear your head after everything…"

Blaine sighed as he locked up his house and started towards his car. "Not sure that would've worked in my case since my problems aren't in Lima." He pulled his car door open and settled into the driver's seat, staring straight ahead so as not to look in the backseat where Kurt had been just weeks ago.

"I'm sorry I mentioned it," Sam muttered as he climbed in the car as well.

"Don't be," Blaine quickly shrugged it off. "I just…it's complicated."

"Won't always be," Sam continued, making Blaine smile. Sam was just as sure as Blaine that Kurt still loved him. During the wedding rehearsal, Sam had kept sending him thumbs ups every time Blaine would turn his direction while on the dance floor. Since then, Sam had been adamant that Blaine and Kurt would get back together.

Only now Kurt and Adam were official…

"So you said this place was like straight out of _The Big Bang Theory_, right?" Sam asked, as if sensing where Blaine's thoughts had gone.

Blaine chuckled and finally cranked up the car. "Complete with a signed Robert Downey Jr. Iron Man helmet the owner will let you take pictures with."

Sam did a little happy dance slash fist pump in the passenger seat. "Dude! That is so cool! How come I did not know of this place before?"

"It's kind of out of the way for people in Lima. But it's worth the trip once you've actually discovered it. Cooper started taking me there when I was a kid so I've always just gone."

"Thanks for taking me, man. And for letting me stay over some this week." Sam bit his lip and ran a hand through his hair. "I love staying at the Hummels, but I feel bad sometimes. Especially when Burt's goin' through treatments and is super tired. Feel like I'm in the way."

Blaine stopped at a red light and glanced over at Sam. "You're not! I know for a fact Burt and Carole are happy to have you there. Trust me. You're good at cheering Burt up when he's not feeling at his best and keeping Finn distracted. So don't think like that."

Sam still didn't seem completely convinced, but he nodded nonetheless. He still had self-esteem issues, no matter how many times Blaine, Tina, and Brittany talked him up. Blaine wanted to keep talking about it, but they soon parked and Sam's somewhat somber mood quickly turned back into that of a giddy five year old hopped up on sugar. He jumped out of the car just as Blaine was cutting the engine and putting the emergency brake into place. Blaine had to all but run to catch up to his friend.

Once inside the shop, Sam wasn't much better. He moved between the stacks, searching through old comics and looking happier than a kid at Christmas. They spent some time looking through the various comics spread out across the main floor before turning to some of the memorabilia and games scattered across the shop.

Sam picked up the toy hammer replica from Thor and started doing his impressions, earning quite the audience. He ended up grabbing a few other things and doing the same when some of the little kids urged him on. At one point, Blaine ended up with a toy lightsaber in his hand ducking swings from Sam's. He was amazed that they didn't get kicked out. He chalked it up to a very indulgent shop owner and the fact that he'd probably spent a small fortune in this place over the years.

They spent awhile goofing off in the store, picking up a few comic books to add to their collection and a Marvel Universe strategy game. It was nearly impossible for Blaine to drag Sam from the shop, but their growling stomachs eventually made Sam cave. They quickly paid for their items and made their way out of the store.

"You ok with Little Csaesars?" Blaine asked, holding the door open for Sam as he took one last longing look towards the shop. Blaine chuckled and nudged his friend on the shoulder. "I'll bring you back here, don't worry."

Sam blushed a little but smiled widely at the promise. "Awesome! And yeah, that's fine. Cheap pizza and wings? All for it! Can we get some of that crazy bread too?"

"Duh," Blaine snorted. "Oh and my mom made those death by chocolate cookies you like."

Sam slung an arm around Blaine's shoulders as they walked towards the restaurant. "Dude, remind me to kiss her when she comes back into town because those are seriously—"

"Well look who we have here," a voice said suddenly, interrupting Sam and stopping Blaine dead in his tracks. He easily recognized that voice as that of the Warblers' newest leading man. Hunter stepped in front of them, his bulky frame blocking their path. "If it isn't the dynamic duo! Batman and Robin in the flesh!" Hunter waved his arms out and motioned at them. He looked as mad as he had that night on the news after the Warblers had been busted for using steroids. And if Blaine was being perfectly honest, it still looked like he was using.

Before Blaine could pull him away, Sam bristled next to him and began talking back. "That wasn't what we were called," Sam defending, bristling next to Blaine. "We—"

"Sam," Blaine interrupted, shaking his head at his friend. If Hunter really was still on the drugs, then there was a distinct possibility that things could escalate given his rage. Blaine just wanted to get away and forget about the guy. He tugged on Sam's arm and tried to urge him back towards the car. They could always drive over to the pizza shop. At least there would be plenty of people there, as opposed to this part of the sidewalk adjacent to an alley…the one Hunter seemed determined to back them into.

"Oh no you don't!" he yelled, sidestepping into Sam and Blaine's path once more and succeeding in making them step towards the abandoned alley. "You two aren't going anywhere. Not 'til I'm done with you!"

"Dude what is your problem?" Sam sputtered, holding up his hands and trying to shove Blaine back behind him. Blaine wouldn't allow it though and ended up standing shoulder to shoulder beside his friend.

"My problem is you!" Hunter spat, practically sending drops of spittle into Sam's face. "You just couldn't take a loss could you? You had to stick your nose into my business, didn't you? You had to ruin everything!"

"I—"

Blaine nudged Sam covertly to get him to stop talking. "Hunter, what are you talking about?" Blaine innocently asked, hoping he was keeping his facial expressions in check. "We didn't do anything. It isn't our fault that you were disqualified."

Hunter's hands clenched into fists at his sides and his face reddened. "Not your fault? You're got to be shitting me right now! I know all about Sammy's little investigation."

Sam tensed up beside Blaine. "Dude I—"

"Just shut up!" Hunter barked, edging closer towards them. "I heard all about what you did and how you got Trent to turn his back on us! You think I didn't notice you joining Blaine on his visits to see Trent?"

"But you were expelled," Blaine stammered. "How would you know?"

"I saw you two sitting all buddy-buddy with that little prick the day I was getting my stuff out of the dorms. I wanted to have this little _chat_ with you then, Sammy boy. But the dean wouldn't let me outta his sight. But you know what? There's no one here now." He stepped forward and started to push Sam against a nearby brick wall. Blaine bit his lip and jumped over towards Sam, blocking Hunter from hurting him for the moment at least.

"That doesn't mean anything! Sam's my friend and so is Trent. They just wanted to get to know each other so Sam went with me. That's all."

Hunter rolled his eyes and shoved at Blaine, sending him backwards into Sam's chest. He staggered and would've fallen if it weren't for Sam grabbing him and helping him regain his balance.

"You see, I wanted to think that too. But then I decided to sneak into your little Regionals competition last weekend. Heard your director thanking Sam for never giving up and being the reason they were up there. Real sweet," Hunter added sarcastically, "him giving you the trophy and all. Audience seemed to eat that shit up."

"Hunter please—"

"Blaine, get out of the way," Hunter snapped.

"Yeah Blaine, just move," Sam urged, readying himself for a fight.

Blaine shook his head, his own hands clenching into fists. He wanted to be anywhere other than the alley, but there was no way he was letting Sam face this alone. "Sam wasn't the only one investigating. I helped." Blaine remained in between Sam and Hunter, not daring to move.

"You little shit," Hunter gasped. "What happened to all that 'once a Warbler always a Warbler' bullshit you guys were always going on about?"

"Yeah, well I did that for the Warblers. What you did wasn't right and it wasn't what the Warblers were about."

Hunter exhaled loudly and rolled his shoulders. He looked behind him, smiling manically when he realized no one was in sight. He faced Sam and Blaine once more as he dug through his pockets. Sam and Blaine didn't know what exactly Hunter was capable of. Sure, they knew of his military school background and the steroids. But after years of boxing Blaine was a fairly experienced fighter and Sam knew how to use his muscular build to his advantage.

They squared their shoulders and waited to see what Hunter would do. Both knew they could handle this. Everything would be fine.

All thoughts of their advantages soon flew out the window when they heard the clicking of a pocketknife coming from Hunter's hand.

~0~

Kurt groaned as his sleep was interrupted by something, or more likely someone, bouncing heavily onto his bed. He swatted at it, hoping whatever it was would just go away and let him sleep. He just wanted to sleep!

"Ow! Damn Hummel! Stop it!"

The arm he'd been using to swat out with was suddenly grabbed in a vise-like grip. He felt long manicured nails dig into the tender flesh along his forearm, waking him up the rest of the way and causing him to jolt up in bed so hard he nearly knocked his intruder off the bed.

"Santana! What the hell?" he huffed, pulling his arm away from her grasp and rubbing at the red marks she had left.

"Calm down! Jeez! Girl tries to be nice and wake you up so you don't miss your date with Harry Potter and this is the thanks I get."

Kurt whipped around, searching for his phone. There were already a few text messages from Adam asking if he was on his way. "Damn it!" Kurt somehow managed to shove the blanket down off himself even though Santana was sitting on the biggest bulk of them. He looked down at his sleep rumpled clothes and groaned. He knew his hair would be top priority and he didn't have the time to deal with it and his clothes.

"You know, you used to never be late for dates with Blaine," Santana said in a snarky singsong voice that made Kurt tense and nearly screw up the progress he had made with his hair.

"Santana," he warned through clenched teeth.

"And you've been late to what?" she continued as if he hadn't spoken. She hopped off the bed and walked up behind him. "The last three dates you've had with Sherlock—"

"His name is Adam," Kurt huffed tiredly. They'd had this argument a hundred times and he had given up bothering to put much effort into it.

"Whatever." She waved it off like he hadn't spoken. "I'm just saying that—"

"I'm late for my date," Kurt cut her off as he grabbed his bag from his desk.

"Fine," Santana snapped. "But you obviously don't care about it that much if you're always late like this."

"I'm late because I'm exhausted from school."

Santana jumped in front of Kurt, blocking him from leaving his room and grabbing him by the shoulders. "Since you slept through Rachel's latest Linda Blair impression, I'll give you that. But I know for a fact that you hate being late for things like this, so you can't tell me that you are all _that_ interested in him to begin with." She didn't say it hatefully, but she kept her tone stern.

Kurt drew his bag higher on his shoulder and looked away. "How'd Rachel's appointment go this afternoon?" He hoped this would be a subject change that would work.

"Don't think you're getting off that easy, Hummel." Apparently it wouldn't.

"Santana—"

"Well she's got Lurch's spawn growing in her and is ignoring all his calls. But she's healthy according to the doctor."

Kurt shuffled a little where he stood. He knew Rachel had, in a bout of maturity, talked to Finn this past week about everything. Only problem was that after spilling the news, she had since ignored every attempt Finn made to contact her. "Maybe I should stick around and—"

"I can keep an eye on her. Go on your little date that you are _obviously_ so excited for."

Kurt rolled his eyes and made his way out of the bedroom, not even caring that he was leaving Santana alone in it would probably mean he would come home to all his possessions littering his floor. Again. He just wanted to get away from her. She'd been nagging him about Adam since their snow day, and it was driving him nuts.

He didn't need her comparing Adam to Blaine. He did it enough on his own, normally without even realizing it. Adam would be leafing through sheet music for their Adam's Apples rehearsal, and he'd imagine what songs Blaine would choose if he were their leader. They would pass a movie theater with posters for the next superhero flick and Adam wouldn't even notice; unlike Blaine who would've babbled on excitedly for the next hour. Even during their coffee dates Kurt couldn't help but feel wistful when he'd ask for a biscotti while Adam looked at them in disgust.

Adam wasn't Blaine. That was supposed to be the whole point though wasn't it? Yet somehow Kurt couldn't get past it, no matter how hard he tried.

With a sigh, Kurt pushed through the crowded subway and rushed out onto the street. The cool wind blew around him, messing with his styled hair and generally annoying him. He stifled a yawn as he finally made it to the block he needed and saw the cozy coffee shop nestled in between larger shops. It was everything the Lima Bean wanted to be yet he wasn't in love with it. But it was Adam's favorite and their mochas were decent enough.

"Kurt!" Adam called from a table near the window. Kurt waved and headed towards him, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw his usual drink already sitting on the table. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show. Are you ok?" He reached across and took Kurt's chilled hand in his own.

Kurt smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm so sorry! I was exhausted after stage movement so I went back to my apartment. I fell asleep before I remembered to set my alarm. I'm sorry." He squeezed Adam's hand, hoping it would make everything sound genuine.

"Aww I remember that class. Mrs. Luvit still teaching it?"

Kurt took a sip from his mocha. He winced a little at how cool it tasted. Adam must have been waiting for awhile. "Yeah," he answered. "She's great don't get me wrong but…"

"She's quite passionate," Adam inserted.

"Slave driver was what I was going to go with, but passionate is probably nicer." Kurt continued to down his coffee, happy for the caffeine if nothing else. "We started fight choreography this week. And I'm pretty sure my partner hasn't quite grasped the part where you are supposed to just make it _look_ real rather than actually making it real."

Adam snorted out a laugh. "I had one of those freshman year."

Kurt's phone went off in his pocket before he could answer. "Excuse me." He dug it out and saw that it was Finn calling him. He sighed, clicked ignore, and turned off the ringer before tossing it onto the table.

"Everything alright, love?"

Kurt bit his lip at the pet name but tried to recover quickly. "Oh, um, more or less." He rubbed a hand over his face. "Rachel and my brother are having issues and I'm apparently the referee."

"That's never fun." Adam squeezed his hand as his cell phone buzzed again, lighting up with Finn's name. He flipped it upside down so he wouldn't see the screen and turned back to Adam, who soon launched into a conversation about the songs he was thinking about using for their next Adam's Apples performance. All the while, his phone buzzed across the table.

"So I was thinking a montage of old—Kurt why don't you just answer your phone and put your brother out of his misery?" Adam huffed mid-conversation. "It hasn't stopped ringing for nearly twenty minutes."

Kurt groaned and picked it up. "I really am sorry, Adam." He took a deep breath before unlocking and answering the phone. "Finn Hudson you better damn well have a good reason for calling me this many times and—"

"_Oh thank God! Was starting to think you'd never answer!"_

"And that didn't make you think that you should stop calling?"

"_Kurt—"_

"I've already told, I am not getting in the middle of you and Rachel. I love you both and I will not—"

"_Dude, just listen! This isn't about Rachel. Did Mom not call you?"_

Kurt's blood ran cold. "I-I haven't checked. I just assumed all the calls that were coming in were from you. Is something wrong? Is Dad in the hospital or…" His voice shook as he trailed off, not wanting to finish that thought.

"_Burt's fine! I'm not calling about him." _Kurt could hear Finn sighing deeply on the other end. _"I'm calling about Blaine."_

Kurt snuck a glance at Adam, wincing a little at his concerned expression. "Finn I don't really want to talk—"

"_It's not like that! I just…Blaine's the one in the hospital. Something—he was attacked."_


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you all for the amazing response this fic has gotten so far! I am a bit overwhelmed and touched by it! Thanks guys! Also want to thank my beta purplehrdwonder once again for all the help she's put into this fic!

One last thing and I will shut up and let you read the story, but I wrote this before we knew for a fact that Rachel's test was a false positive and I had already said in the last chapter she was pregnant, so I kept that up in this chapter. Rachel/Finchel won't really be a huge thing in this story, but wanted to explain that a bit.

Chapter 2

Kurt didn't hear Finn yelling his name through the phone, nor did he hear Adam calling him from across the table. All he heard was Finn's words about Blaine echoing in his head. _He was attacked._ Blaine had been attacked somewhere back in Ohio while Kurt was sitting here attempting a date with Adam. He felt sick. This couldn't be happening.

"_Kurt!"_ Finn yelled once more. _"Please say something? Are you there? Kurt!"_

Kurt swallowed thickly and tried to take a deep breath. "Yeah," he replied, his voice cracking. "I-I'm still here."

"_Dude, don't do that! You really freaked me out."_

"What happened?" Kurt continued, not bothering to apologize to Finn. He needed to know what was going on with Blaine. That was what mattered now.

"_I don't know yet. Mom called me earlier but I missed it. Her message just said that something happened with Blaine and Sam, and I should head back home if I could."_

"Wait, where are you? If you're not in Lima how do you know they were attacked? Couldn't something else have happened?" Adam sat up straighter and tightened his grip around Kurt's hand. Kurt wanted to let go, yet didn't.

"_Puck and I are in Columbus. We had tickets for a game tomorrow and decided to hit up some of the sports bars and clubs tonight. The one we're at has a bunch of TVs with different stations and stuff. The news came on and there was a headline of 'When did show choir become violent?' so I tried to watch. They showed Hunter. And—Kurt there was a knife!"_

"Finn!" Kurt yelled back. "How do you know it was Blaine?" Kurt didn't miss the way Adam seemed to tense a little at the name, but he didn't have the time to pay it much attention.

"_He was yelling and stuff while they were bringing him into the police station. He kept saying it was all Evans' and Anderson's fault."_

"Oh god," Kurt gasped. He finally let go of Adam's hand and ran his own through his hair. He could feel tears pooling in his eyes, but knew he had to keep it together. He had to listen to what Finn had to say. "Did-Did they say anything about how bad they were hurt?"

"Kurt?" Adam stammered, watching him with concerned eyes.

Kurt didn't have time to respond, not when Finn was talking again. _"The news just said they were taken to the hospital to be treated. But they showed the crime scene and…there was blood all over the alley, Kurt."_

What little bit of color that was left in Kurt's face quickly drained. He had been hoping, however fruitlessly, that maybe it wouldn't be as bad as he feared. But it apparently was.

"_Mom is working at the hospital tonight,"_ Finn continued, unaware of the panic gripping Kurt. _"I'm still in Columbus, but I think Puck and I are going to leave as soon as the hotel will let us check out. I don't really know when that will be yet. We haven't gotten back. I started calling as soon as I saw it on TV."_

Kurt nodded, only realizing after the fact that Finn couldn't see him. "I-I'll see if I can get a hold of Carole. I think she tried calling me sometime in the middle of your set of calls. I just…"

"_Yeah, I know. Call me if you hear anything and I'll do the same for you. Just, try to stay calm bro. He's gotta be alive at least. They wouldn't have said assault charges if he wasn't, right?"_

Kurt gulped. "Right."

"_I'll talk to you later bro. I'll keep my phone on as long as the battery holds. You still have Puck's number right?"_

"Yeah I still have it," Kurt replied, hating how his voice shook. "Thanks Finn." He only realized his hands were shaking as well when he clicked off the call and let his hands fall back onto the table.

"Kurt?" Adam gently prodded. "Love? What's wrong?" He reached over and ran his thumb over the back of Kurt's hand.

Kurt took in a quivering breath as he tried to compose himself. But he couldn't. He felt a few tears stream down his face and knew his face was probably a splotchy mix of pale skin and red. He pulled his hand back from Adam once again and rubbed at his face.

"Kurt? Babe, please talk to me?"

"I…I'm sorry," Kurt finally apologized. "I think I should go home." He didn't want to do this. He wanted to go home and try to call his dad or Carole. He needed to go home. Kurt stood up rather abruptly, knocking over his half empty cup. "Damn it," he muttered, his hands flying out to attempt to clean up the mess.

"Hey, it's ok," Adam said, grabbing Kurt's shaking hands and stopping him from scrubbing at the spilled coffee. "Ally will clean it up."

Kurt's head whipped around to see their normal barista smiling at him and waving a dishrag. He hadn't even noticed she was there.

"Come on, Kurt. Let's get you home," Adam continued. He tugged on Kurt's hand, pulling him out of the coffee shop and onto the sidewalk. Kurt was still trembling a little, and it had nothing to do with the cool wind this time. With a sigh, Adam turned toward him. "Can you please tell me what's wrong? I wasn't trying to listen in on your conversation with Finn but I could hear some. And you're obviously upset."

Kurt nodded numbly as he leaned against the wall of the coffee shop and tried to take a deep breath. "Blaine and his friend were attacked. Finn saw it on the news. I don't know how bad or what's going on and I'd really like to just get home and try to figure it out. I need to call my dad and I can't hear with everyone on the sidewalks and the subway and—"

"I'm so sorry," Adam interrupted, grabbing Kurt's shoulders and pulling him into a hug. Kurt tried to return it, but he knew it was very half assed. He just wanted to go home and hopefully get a hold of his dad or someone. After a few seconds, Adam let go and smiled sadly at him. "Come on, I'll take you back home."

"Adam you don't—"

"Kurt, you're shaking. I'm not letting you go alone."

Kurt nodded and didn't argue. If it got him home faster, he didn't care.

The trek back to Bushwick passed in a blur. Adam kept a hand on him the entire time, but it didn't really ground him in the way it should've. His only lifeline at the moment seemed to be his phone, which still hadn't gone off with a message from his family.

"Kurt? Come on, sweetheart. This is your stop."

He looked up, startled to hear Adam talking. The other boy had remained fairly quiet since they had reached the subway station. He stuck his hand out for Kurt to take. Kurt had to close his eyes and take a moment before standing up. It reminded him too much of Blaine after Pavarotti's funeral in that moment. No matter how hard he tried to move on, everything always seemed to remind him of Blaine.

"Kurt?"

Without saying a word, Kurt took Adam's hand. It was so different from Blaine's. Adam's were smooth where Blaine's was calloused from years of playing guitar. There were no scars from trying to defend himself at a Sadie Hawkins dance. And no matter how many times Kurt gave Adam lotion, he never seemed to like putting it on his hands. Not like Blaine would.

Kurt pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind and pushed through the crowded subway. He walked faster than he normally would, practically jogging and pulling Adam along behind him. They made it to Kurt's apartment in record time and Kurt quickly let himself into the building. He scurried to the elevator and pressed the button once, cursing when the doors didn't immediately open. "Come on," he huffed, pressing it more vigorously.

"Hey," Adam sighed, coming up behind Kurt and rubbing his arm. "It's ok. Just give it time." As if on cue, the elevator dinged and opened. Kurt and Adam slipped in and hit their floor number. Kurt bounced anxiously as the elevator climbed the floors. He barely waited for the thing to stop before hitting the button for the doors to open.

"Give me your keys," Adam ordered softly when he saw the way Kurt's hands were still shaking. Kurt gave them over without argument and mumbled thanks. As soon as Adam unlocked the heavy door and slid it open, Kurt rushed in, running straight into Santana in his hurry.

"Damn, Hummel!" Santana shouted. "What the hell is wrong with you? Liz Taylor doing another jewelry auction on Ebay? Because if we're going to make next month's rent you best not be getting on your computer to bid!"

Kurt glared at her as he dug out his phone from his bag and tried to walk toward his bedroom.

"Santana," Adam said. "Kurt just found out that, um, well Blaine was apparently attacked and—"

"Oh God," she gasped. She rushed to Kurt's side and pulled him into a hug. He tensed at the sudden touch but eventually relaxed into her arms for a moment. "What happened?" she asked softly near his ear.

"I don't know yet," Kurt choked out, clearing his throat and composing himself. "Finn saw it on the news, so not sure what is really going on. But I guess he was out with Sam somewhere and had a run in with Hunter—"

"That 'roided up Schwarzenegger wannabe the Warblers have posing as their front man?"

Kurt nodded. "He…he attacked them." Kurt ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know how bad it is but Finn said they showed the crime scene for a second and there was a knife and blood and—"

"Hey, it's ok. It'll be ok. Call your dad and see if he knows anything. Isn't he still Sam's guardian?" Santana soothed, rubbing at Kurt's back.

"Yeah," Kurt sighed in relief. "He is. I totally forgot."

"Just call him. See what he knows and go from there."

"What going on?" Rachel asked as she stepped out of the bathroom. She looked a little pale and kept her arm wrapped around her stomach. But she still looked concerned as she took in Kurt's appearance. "Kurt?"

Santana grabbed her arm and pulled her away. "Come on, I'll explain." She then grabbed Adam as well. "Come on Ringo. Let Kurt call his dad." She ushered them away from Kurt's part of the apartment. "We'll be in the kitchen. Want me to make you some coffee?"

"Please," he sighed. She nodded and left him alone with his phone. Kurt fumbled a little before finally clicked on Burt's number.

"_Kurt!" _Burt greeted after only one ring.

"Dad," Kurt sighed, leaning back against his wall. His voice cracked a little but for once he didn't mind. "I was worried you wouldn't answer."

"_Hey bud," _Burt continued. It sounded like he had picked up on the distress in Kurt's voice. _"I take it you heard about Blaine and Sam, huh?"_

Kurt sniffled a little. "Finn saw it on the news and called me. What's going on? How are they? Where are you? Do you—"

"_Scooter slow down! It's ok. It's going to be ok."_

"Dad—"

"_I'm at the hospital now, bud. That's why I hadn't called you yet. I was hoping to find out about Blaine first but I haven't gotten too far yet. I've been waiting with Sam."_

"Oh. H-How's Sam?" If Kurt couldn't hear about Blaine, he wanted to hear about Sam at least. Maybe he could gage how bad it was from that if nothing else.

"_Pretty shaken and beaten up. But nothing compared to what it could be. He's got some fairly deep cuts along his arms and is going to be sporting a pretty bad shiner. Despite all that, it's all I can do to keep him in bed. Kid keeps trying to get up and go find Blaine." _

Kurt smiled a little at Sam's devotion to his friend. He never expected the two of them to become so close, but he was so glad to see Blaine had someone like Sam back in Ohio still. "Did he say anything about Blaine? And why don't you know about him? Was it so bad that they…" Kurt trailed off, closing his eyes as he thought of various worst case scenarios.

"_I'm still Sam's guardian. I'm not Blaine's."_

"But Blaine's eighteen! That shouldn't matter!"

"_I still would need to be an emergency contact and I'm not. They're in the process of getting a hold of his parents but Sam said they're in Pittsburg."_

"But can't Blaine just say you're allowed to be updated on his case?" Kurt asked hopefully.

Burt sighed deeply on the other end of the phone. _"He wasn't conscious when he was brought in, Kurt. He couldn't tell them anything. And before you get yourself worked up, that doesn't mean he's in critical condition or anything like that. I don't know. Sam said he looked pretty bad, but he couldn't tell either. We just have to wait and see."_

Kurt's hand tightened on his phone and his stomach dropped. He felt tears sting at his eyes once more knowing that Blaine wasn't even awake. "Is Carole working?"

"_Yeah, but I haven't seen her. She called me when the boys were brought in then she went to help. Sam said she's ended up working on Blaine and not him." _

Kurt's hands balled into fists in his frustration and tears stung at his eyes. He hated this. He hated being hours away and unable to just be there. He needed to be there. He didn't think he could stand waiting around in his apartment with Rachel crying and Santana and Adam giving him worrying looks every few seconds. He couldn't do it.

"Dad," he choked out. "I want to come home. Can I—"

"_You still remember my credit card numbers?"_

"Yeah," Kurt replied. He smiled a little at how quick his dad was to agree.

"_Use it to get a ticket to Columbus. Text Finn your arrival time. I'll make sure he knows that he and Puck should wait to leave so you can just ride with them."_

"Thanks Dad," Kurt sighed. "And—"

"_I'll call if I know anything. I'm going to see if I can't try calling his parents. If nothing else maybe they can give the doctors permission to give me updates. And Kurt? Don't worry too much. Be careful son. Love you."_

"Love you too." With that he hung up the call and switched over to his Internet app to start looking for flights and prices. He could smell coffee wafting in from the kitchen, and he remembered the others. Santana and Rachel probably would like to know what was going on and he should explain things to Adam. He took a deep breath and swiftly left his room.

"Hey," Adam greeted, noticing him as soon as he stepped out of his room.

Santana turned away from her place at the coffee maker and looked him up and down. "So what's going on?"

Kurt sat down on one of the kitchen chairs and laid his head down on the table. "I still don't really know. They won't tell my dad anything about Blaine because he's not his guardian, just Sam's."

"Can't Blaine give consent for Burt to know?" Santana asked hopefully.

"He's been unconscious since he was brought in so…" Kurt swallowed back the emotions clogging his throat and hoped he could keep the tears at bay in front of Adam.

"Oh Kurt," Adam said softly, reaching over and rubbing at Kurt's arm.

"Did your dad say much about Sam?" Santana continued.

"Not a ton. Just that he was pretty banged up and fighting to go find Blaine."

Santana nodded sadly and handed Kurt a cup of coffee. "What're you going to do? Are you going home or what?"

Kurt nodded and gulped down the hot liquid, not caring if he burned his throat. "My dad said to go ahead and get a ticket."

"I thought you wanted to spend your break catching up on work and stuff?" Adam interjected.

"I did, but I don't think I'll be able to do that knowing my best friend's hurt and hours away. I can't focus on much else." He looked around the kitchen, expecting to see Rachel crying dramatically in the corner only to find her nowhere in the room. "Where's Rachel?"

"The smell of coffee made her sick so she's locked herself in the bathroom," Santana answered. "She's fine. You don't need to worry about her right now. Worry about you and that hobbit back in Lima." She ran a hand through her hair and Kurt noticed how it shook. "Do you want me to come with you?"

At that moment, Kurt could hear Rachel across the hall in the bathroom. He winced a little at the sound. "Um…I think someone should stay and keep an eye on Rachel."

"Are you sure because I'm sure she—" Rachel made a louder sound from the bathroom, stopping Santana midsentence and causing her to sigh. "Fine. I'll stay here with Berry." She pointed a manicured finger at Kurt. "But I expect updates."

"Of course," he replied softly. He downed the rest of the coffee and stood, scrolling and clicking away his phone. "Ok, I need to go pack so I can make the soonest flight."

"I'll tell Rachel," Santana sighed.

"Want some help?" Adam asked, standing and stepping next to Kurt.

Kurt nodded, even though he would've loved to have the moment alone to process everything. He didn't say anything; he simply allowed Adam to follow him into his room and help.

"So," Adam started while Kurt dug out his suitcase from underneath his bed, "I was wondering if you'd like me to come with you? I know it will be a hard week and I thought you'd maybe like somewhere there with you."

Blaine. Kurt just wanted Blaine. He didn't want to deal with having Adam there while dealing with Blaine and what had happened to him. He didn't think he could handle it.

"Kurt?"

"No," he said a little too quickly. He bit his lip at the hurt look that flashed across Adam's face. "I just—I don't think it would be a good idea." Kurt side stepped Adam and starting digging some clothes out of his dresser, making sure to grab the basics and essentials.

"Listen, Kurt, I know this is about Blaine and—"

"Yes," Kurt snapped, blushing because he hadn't truly meant to. "It is about Blaine. It is about the fact that he's hurt and I don't know how badly. I don't think it would be a good idea for you to come." Kurt sagged back against his dresser and took a deep breath, trying to collect his thoughts. "I don't want to make him uncomfortable by having you there when he's probably going to feel miserable as it is." It wasn't a lie, but there was definitely more to it. "I appreciate the offer; I do. I just don't think it would be a good idea."

Adam rubbed at the back of his neck. "God, I didn't even think about that. You're right. That wouldn't be fair to him." He took a few steps towards Kurt and pulled him into a hug. "Just call me if you need anything. Any time at all."

Kurt nodded against Adam's shoulder and pushed away from him. "Thank you."

Kurt went back to packing, and Adam helped. But the two didn't speak more than a few words after that. Kurt could tell Adam had things he wanted to say and was just holding back. For now, Kurt was grateful for it. He knew they'd have to talk eventually, but he couldn't do it right now. Now he needed to get his bags together and hail a cab so he could hurry to the airport to catch his flight.

"You sure you don't want me to at least take you to the airport?" Adam asked one last time as Kurt stood on the sidewalk in front of his apartment.

"No point in you going all the way over there when you have rehearsal tonight," Kurt replied, shifting anxiously and tightening his grip on his bags.

Adam sighed and nudged Kurt's shoulder. "I told you I would just cancel and—"

"No, don't. I don't want everyone calling me asking what's wrong if you cancel. So just go take care of the group. I'll be fine."

"Will you really?"

Kurt winced at Adam's bluntness. "Always am," he lied. Kurt wasn't quite sure Adam believed him, but he let it go.

A cab turned down onto their street and Kurt waved the driver down. Adam took Kurt's luggage from him and put it in the trunk of the cab.

"Thank you," Kurt said softly as he opened the car's door.

"Promise you'll call or text when you can?"

Kurt nodded with a small smile. "I'll try my best."

"You better." Adam returned the smile and kissed Kurt before he stepped away from the cab. Kurt climbed into the backseat and could've sworn Adam said a soft 'I love you' as the door was shut, but Kurt couldn't be sure.

"Where to, son?" the cabbie questioned.

"JFK, please." The car pulled away from the curb and set out toward the airport. Kurt leaned back against the seat, letting his head fall against the headrest. It was going to be a long week.

~0~

"Kurt!"

Kurt startled, not realizing Finn was standing a few yards away with his luggage already in hand. Kurt sighed in relief and rushed over to his stepbrother. "Hey," he greeted.

Finn pulled him into a tight hug. "How you holding up, dude?"

Kurt took in a shaky breath. The plane ride hadn't been the best. It was filled with families leaving to go on spring break vacations and family visits. He had never seen—or heard—so many crying babies in one place. Between their screaming and Kurt's thoughts going crazy with different worst case scenarios for Blaine, Kurt had a migraine from hell pounding against his temples.

He finally shrugged in response to Finn's question. "I just want to get to Westerville."

"Ok," Finn said, squeezing Kurt's shoulder and releasing him from the hug. "Puck's outside waiting on us. Let's go."

The two brothers started walking to the parking lot. "So," Kurt started, "I thought you had to wait 'til check out time at your hotel?"

Finn shook his head and hoisted Kurt's bags on his shoulder. "Nah, we just told the front desk that my little brother had been hurt back home and I needed to get back to him. Not like it was really a lie." He shrugged and looked down at Kurt, who had tears shining in his eyes again at the comment. Finn stopped and turned to Kurt. "Hey, it'll be ok. Blaine's going to be ok."

"You don't know that," Kurt sniffled.

"I know that he'd do anything for you, including getting better." Finn nudged Kurt's shoulder and started to walk again.

Kurt's step faltered as he thought over what Finn said but managed to keep up. The two soon reached Puck's beat up old car and clambered inside, Kurt taking the backseat so Finn would have more room in the front.

"Hey, man," Puck said as soon as the doors were all shut.

Kurt leaned back into the seat. "Thanks for the ride, Puck."

"Any time, bro." Puck cranked the car up and pulled out of the parking lot. "Anything for you and Blaine." Kurt could see Puck's throat constrict as he fought back emotions. "I really am sorry about what happened with you guys. I never expected—"

"Me neither, Puck," Kurt snapped. "But it did."

"You know he's sorry right?" Puck continued, not bothered by Kurt's snappiness. "I've seen him a couple of times since I got back in town. Game night and boys nights. Ya know, since he's become one of the guys?" Puck pulled onto the highway and started towards Westerville. "And he totally feels guilty about what happened."

"I know," Kurt replied softly. He glanced up at Puck, who stared back at him in the rearview mirror but didn't say anything.

Of course Kurt knew Blaine felt guilty. He'd heard enough broken 'I'm sorrys' to know that. Hell he could tell as soon as he looked at Blaine that night in Bryant Park. He knew Blaine hated himself for what he had done. Try as he might, Kurt had never been able to hate him for it. He'd been angry and hurt, and he wanted nothing more to hate Blaine. But Blaine was still _his _Blaine.

The same boy who'd stole his breath on a staircase and then his heart in an old common room. The same boy who'd swept him off his feet in a crowded gym and stood up for him when no one else would. The same boy who'd given up so much just to be with him every day.

It was hard for him to imagine that boy cheating, yet somehow he had. And Kurt was trying hard every day to process that and move on from it. He was getting there. He didn't know when he would be over it, or if he ever would. But he knew one thing for certain, Blaine needed to be alive and well for it to happen.

The rest of the drive passed quietly. Puck broke most of the speed limits and put all of his focus on not getting them into a wreck. Finn had picked up on Kurt's mood and left him alone with his thoughts. Kurt wasn't sure if he was grateful or spiteful for it.

When the hospital came into view, Kurt's anxiety worsened. He was practically vibrating with nervous energy as Puck pulled up to the front door.

"Go," Puck ordered. "Finn and I will park the car and meet you later."

"Burt's waiting on you in the lobby," Finn explained, twisting in his seat.

Kurt nodded and thanked them both before rushing out of the car and into the lobby. There were a few people walking about and sitting in the smaller waiting room. It took Kurt a moment to find his dad amongst them, but as soon as he did he all but launched himself into Burt's arms.

"Shh," Burt soothed, holding Kurt close. "It's ok. He's going to be ok."

"You don't know that," Kurt choked out into his dad's shirt. "They won't tell you anything and—"

"Carole said he woke up. I haven't gotten to see him yet, but they were in the process of moving him into Sam's room when I came down to wait on you."

"How bad is he?" Kurt asked, already letting go of his dad and moving towards the elevators.

"I'm not too sure yet. Carole got pulled away before she could say much."

"How'd she look?" Kurt continued, pressing the buttons on the console furiously. "Was she covered in blood? Did she look haggard or upset? Did she—"

"Slow down buddy." Burt pulled Kurt's hand away from the buttons. "Give the elevator a break before you cause it to break down. Blaine's not going anywhere."

Before Kurt could reply, the elevator dinged and opened for them. Both scurried inside. Kurt was about to reach over to click the button to shut the doors when Burt rolled his eyes and stopped his son so that others could come inside. He then hit the number for Sam and Blaine's floor before pulling Kurt into his side again.

It thankfully didn't take too long to reach their floor. Kurt was practically shaking the entire way up and rushed out of the elevator as soon as the doors open. It was all Burt could do to keep up with his son and guide him in the right direction.

They wound their way past various rooms and a few desks before Burt came to a stop in front of a partially closed door. "You ready?" he asked Kurt softly.

Kurt nodded vigorously, though he wasn't completely sure he _was_ ready for what was on the other side of the door. But he needed to see Blaine. He had to know if the other boy was going to be alright for himself.

Burt knocked gently on the door then slid inside, pulling Kurt in with him. Instead of the silence Kurt expected, soft laughter and chatter greeted him. He noticed an empty bed to one side before looking over to the second bed. Sam was sitting on the edge. His arm was wrapped with thick gauze and there were quite a few bruises around his face. But Kurt couldn't pay much attention to them, not when Blaine was propped up on a few pillows next to him.

"Kurt," the boy gasped, his eyes falling on his ex. "You're here?"

Kurt wasn't much better. His eyes roamed over Blaine, taking stock of his injuries. He had a lot of bruises around his neck and was sporting a split lip. There were a number of cuts and marks along his knuckles as well as what looked like some torn finger nails. His forearm and bicep were also covered in thick gauze.

While the blanket hid a lot of his lower body, it was obvious that there had to be some bruising there as well. Blaine winced terribly when he tried to sit up more but smiled sheepishly, likely trying to cover up his pain.

Kurt swallowed thickly. "Hey you."

"What're you…I thought you were staying in New York?" Blaine tried to move up on the pillows even more and grunted from the pain it seemed to cause. Kurt closed the distance between them and gently pushed him back against the pillows.

"I came once I heard you were hurt," he said, trying not to get overly emotional all over again. "Someone has to make sure you don't make yourself worse doing things like this." He squeezed Blaine's shoulder, trying to convey just how worried he was despite the teasing words.

Blaine nodded. His eyes looked glassy, but Kurt couldn't tell if they were from the pain killers or unshed tears. "You didn't have to. I'm glad you did! But I'm ok, really." He squeezed Kurt's hand once before intertwining their fingers, just like he always did.

"Dude, you should've seen Blaine when Hunter went at me!" Sam piped in, reminding Kurt that there were others in the room still.

"Sam," Blaine huffed. "I—" He broke off, trying to clear his throat but only coughing as he tried to speak.

"Do you need some water, sweetie?" Carole asked.

"Or I can go get you Sprite from the vending machine," Kurt offered, remembering how it was what Blaine always preferred when sick or hurt. He practically drank a two liter of it the day after his eye surgery.

"You don't have to," Blaine said softly.

"But you'd really like for me to, wouldn't you?" Kurt replied with a smile, rubbing at Blaine's arm. "I'll be right back. Then Sam can tell me just how much of a badass you are." He leaned forward and kissed Blaine on the forehead, just as he had done so many times in the past, then stepped out into the hall.

He paused for a moment, leaning against the wall and breathing a sigh of relief. "He's ok," he said to himself. He let his head fall back and stood there for a moment, trying to take it all in. Blaine was going to be fine. It could've been so much worse. Hell, it probably came very close to being so much worse.

Kurt wasn't sure what he would've done if it had been. They weren't on bad terms, but they weren't on great terms either. If things had been worse, Kurt knew he may never have gotten to talk to him about everything. He felt tears sting at his eyes at the thought of never talking to Blaine.

Never saying 'I love you' again.

His throat constricted as he tried to hold in a sob. He hadn't said that to Blaine in awhile, but that didn't make it any less true. Now he wished he had. There were lots of things wished he had done when it came to Blaine.

He had to figure things out. He couldn't keep going like this, going back and forth with Blaine while feeling things out with Adam. It was just hurting everyone involved. He had to make a change somewhere, and he was pretty sure he knew what it needed to be.


End file.
